A George I walnut fall front writing bureau, the fall opening to reveal a stepped interior with a central well, the carcass with waist moulding above two short over two long drawers on shaped bracket feet, 100 cm wide x 57 cm deep x 102 cm high

Condition Report

The bureau is in good decorative /functional order. However it has been restored at some point and has been rubbed down this is evident by the signs of old flight galleries being evident in the veneer on the right-hand side of the carcass, and also the very flat nature of the veneer, sadly all patina was lost in the restoration. Although the polish is full and in good order.

The fall may have been re-veneered or possibly ribbed down

The interior seems to have survived with most of its original surface intact.

The well cover is loose and would need some work (it has come off its runners)

The lopers need their stops securing /replacing

The handles are replaced and also the escutcheons

The feet seem to be replacements

The bureau has some unfortunate patches to the top but they could be enhanced by sympathetic recolouring

The waist moulding is possibly replaced being straight grain rather than cross-grain as would be expected

I think it is wholly possible that some areas have been re-veneered but it is now difficult to tell given the rubbing down and repolishing that has taken place.

To sum up this bureau is structurally OK but would need some work to the interior well.

The bureau has been heavily restored and suffered from a fairly heavy hand as mentioned above.